From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Throughout the United States, co-teaching has silently become a major model for delivering instruction to special-education students in general education classes. The model pairs a general education teacher with a special education teacher.
Although co-teaching has great promise for helping special-education students, it also has many pitfalls. And the research examining its ability to improve students’ academics is in its infancy; in other words, we have little proof that it dramatically improves academics. Read more...
co-teach-co-teaching, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IEP, inclusion, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, Special Education, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Homework difficulties are often caused by work that requires struggling learners to read or write beyond their independent levels. Difficulties are also caused by work that’s too complex or abstract and by learning characteristics that interfere with starting, organizing, monitoring, and finishing work. As Bryant and her colleagues (2001) so aptly asserted:
Children with learning disabilities are at-risk for a variety of problems that are likely to interfere with doing homework. These risks include deficits in reading and math, poor communication and organizational skills, difficulty with tasks that demand voluntary, selective, and sustained attention . . . poor memory . . . and poor self-monitoring. (p. 171) Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, homework, homework policy, IEP, IEPs resiliency, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Why is music important for people of all ages and for all children in school?
Just take a dose of rock ‘n’ roll—it keeps you going. Just like the caffeine in your coffee, rock ‘n’ roll is good for the soul, for the well-being, for the psyche, for your everything. I love it. I can’t even picture being without rock ‘n’roll. (Hank Ballard) Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, mood, Motivation, music, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
As we said in previous posts, frequent, extreme stress and the anxiety it produces can devastate children with reading and other disabilities:
Stress is bad for children. It’s associated with health problems, school failures, and youth delinquency…. High stress levels have been associated with … asthma and depression…. Stress directly affects ‘attention, memory, planning, and behavior control.’ When the mind is under emotional stress, it produces the peptide cortisol…. Cortisol generally is a blessing because we don’t become controlled by our past negative experiences. However, if cortisol is not kept in balance, learning can and will stop. (Creedon, 2011, p. 34) Read more...
anxiety, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, helplessness, independent reading level, instructional reading level, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, stress, stressors, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Ever wonder why your child behaves in troubling ways that drive you crazy: dawdles, won’t read, fights with David and Brian? We can’t explain everything that might influence his behavior, like his genes, his DNA, his neurology, his body chemistry, or David and Brian’s behavior. We know little about these. But we can tell you about PEATERR (pronounced Peter). PEATERR identifies many important factors that cause behavior. Using it might help you learn what’s currently causing your child’s troubling behavior, an important step in finding solutions. Read more...
behavior, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, problem solving, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, troublesome behavior
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
It’s critically important that schools help children become proficient readers, writers, and mathematicians. But it’s equally important that schools nurture children’s curiosity, compassion, interpersonal skills, motivation to learn, social and emotional intelligence, problem solving abilities, independent learning abilities, civic and social awareness, civic responsibility, and commitment to the environment, community, and all people. With many such citizens, America (and the world) can thrive. Without them, it can’t. Read more...
basic curriculum, basics, civic awareness, civic responsibility, compassion, curiosity, curriculum, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, independent learning abilities, interpersonal skills, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Motivation, motivation to learn, problem solving ability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, social and emotional intelligence, social awareness, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
In speaking of personal development, Daniel Goleman said it succinctly and brilliantly:
Self-awareness and empathy are (along with self-mastery and social skills) domains of human ability essential for success in life. Excellence in these capacities helps people flourish in relationships, family life, and marriage, as well as in work and leadership…. Of these four key life skills, self-awareness lays the foundation for the rest. If we lack the capacity to monitor our emotions, for example, we will be poorly suited to learn from them (2010, p. vii). Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, emotional development, emotional well-being, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-awareness, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-regulation, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
The National Center for Learning Disabilities broadcast the announcement below. If you ever find yourself in a dispute over services for your child, you’ll need to hire expert witnesses. Thus, for you it’s critical that Congress pass the bill below–the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act. If Congress does not, and you win in court, you will not get reimbursed for your experts and may have to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket. If the bill passes, the school may have to reimburse you all or part of your experts’ fees.
Dear Howard, Read more...
Advocacy, due process, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, expert fees, expert witness fees, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
To develop IEP goals (and, in some states and situations, objectives) that are meaningful, measurable, and manageable, requires a preliminary step that too many IEP Teams rush though: Writing a quality Present Levels section (“present levels of academic achievement and functional performance”) of the IEP. This section forms the basis and justification for all goals and objectives. In turn, the goals and objectives form the basis for all services and placements. Read more...
disabilities, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, goals, goals and objectives, IEP, Individualized Education Program, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, objectives, progress monitoring, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, special education law, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
“In this era of increased testing and expanding high stakes accountability systems, we need to remember the purpose for assessment. We want our schools to improve, and for this to happen, we have to do better at helping kids learn. Some of the tests teachers administer cannot help them much in this effort. Standardized measures (like those administered by states) and the outcome measures required under the No Child Left Behind law fall into this category. They are designed more to measure student achievement levels than to guide classroom instruction” (Santi, York, Foorman, & Francis, 2010, p. 1). Read more...
diagnosis, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, high-stakes tests, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, reading diagnosis, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading problem, reading problems, standardized testing, standardized tests, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, test, test scores, tests
